*Reprinted with the kind permission of FLEX Magazine (February 2009)
By Larry Pepe

Five pros reveal their favorite supps for packing on mass, cutting up, boosting energy and protecting their health.  Now, put their picks to work for you.

With thousands of products on the market providing a multitude of ingredients for various physique- and performance-enhancing benefits, knowing what to take and when to take it can be a daunting task.   In a perfect world, you’d just be able to pick up the phone and ask some of the best bodybuilders in the world for their advice.  So that’s exactly what we did.  Below you’ll find the supplement picks of four top-tier pros - and one top-tier pro in waiting - for almost every imaginable scenario.  Life just got a little easier.

SCENARIO ONE:
SIZING UP

THE PRO Jay Cutler
CREDENTIALS Two-time Mr. Olympia (2006-2007), five-time Mr. Olympia runner-up (2001, 2003-2005, 2008)

CUTLER’S PICKS

Creatine
Dextrose
Nitric oxide booster
Glutamine
Meal replacement product

CUTLER’S VIEW:  "It’s no secret that there are other guys who are more aesthetic than I am.  Building extreme size and outmuscling the other guys has been the strategy that allowed me to win two Olympias and three consecutive Arnold Classics."

Pick #1 CREATINE

Take it:  20 minutes before training; immediately after training
Dose: 3-5 grams
Cutler says:  "Creatine is fantastic for helping maximize strength and performance in the gym, which is critical to adding mass.  It also helps with muscle fullness and recovery."

Pick #2 DEXTROSE

Take it:  Immediately after training
Dose: 60-100 g
Cutler says:  "Adding dextrose to the mix postworkout helps replenish depleted glycogen levels and spike insulin levels, as well as drive protein, amino acids and carbohydrates into the muscle."

Pick #3 NO BOOSTER

Take it:  20 minutes before training
Dose:  One dose of an NO booster providing 3-5 g of arginine
Cutler says:  "Not only does it help carry the Creatine that I’ve just taken into the muscle, but it also helps me get a great pump and maximizes that feeling of muscle fullness."

Pick #4 GLUTAMINE

Take it:  Pre- and postworkout; with carbohydrate meals throughout the day.
Dose:  5-10 g
Cutler says:  "You hear about a lot of guys using glutamine before and after workouts, but I also use it throughout the day because it promotes higher growth hormone levels and helps shuttle carbohydrates and glycogen into the muscle.  Using glutamine with meals that contain carbohydrates is a solid offseason strategy."

Pick # 5 MRP

Take it:  Three times per day
Dose:  One packet
Cutler says:  "Three times per day gives me a total of 120 g of high-quality protein and about 100 g of carbs.  The convenience of an MRP is a huge plus for me."

SCENARIO TWO:
PRE- AND POSTOWRKOUT (OFFSEASON)

THE PRO  Brandon Curry
CREDENTIALS  2008 NPC USA Championships overall winner

CURRY’S PICKS

MRP
Energy drink
Creatine
Glutamine
Branched-chain amino acids

CURRY’S VIEW:  "After I placed second at the 2007 USA and Nationals, I wanted to make sure I did everything I could to add quality muscle mass and get my pro card in "08.  That meant focusing on my pre- and postworkout nutrition and supplementation to maximize my workouts.  Now that I’m a pro, it’s even more important."

PICK #1 MRP

Take it:  One hour before training; 30 minutes after training; before bed
Dose:  Three scoops yielding approximately 70 g of protein from whey, milk and egg sources, and 40 g of carbs from a fiber matrix and various sources.
Curry says:  "I don’t like to have a lot of food in my stomach when I work out, so I drink one shake about an hour before my session and another one approximately 30 minutes after I finish training.  This ensures that I’m going to have the nutrients I need for a great workout and be able to recover properly afterward.  I also use an MRP before bed so that my body is supplied with nutrients through the night to prevent any muscle breakdown."

PICK #2 ENERGY DRINK

Take it:  Before and during training
Dose:  16 ounces
Curry says:  "I don’t recommend using the drinks that are loaded with sugar and carbs.  Instead, I opt for a formula that has a mix of energy-producing amino acids and caffeine.  I’ll start drinking it early in the day and take whatever is left of the 16-ounce serving with me into the workout and finish it as I train."

Pick # 3 CREATINE

Take it:  Within 20 minutes after training
Dose:  3-5 g
Curry says:  "Creatine is really important for recovery from intense workouts, so I make sure to include it in my posttraining supplementation."

Pick #4 GLUTAMINE

Take it:  Within 20 minutes after training
Dose:  5-10 g
Curry says:  "Glutamine makes up a high percentage of the amino acids in your muscle tissue and it’s released from your muscle when you train.  I need to replenish it postworkout to prevent muscle breakdown and gain as much muscle as possible."

Pick #5 BCAAs

Take it:  Within 20 minutes after training
Dose:  5-10 g
Curry says:  "BCAAs are broken down during training, so your body will start to eat muscle tissue to replenish them if you don’t supplement after you train."

SCENARIO THREE:
GETTING LEAN (CONTEST PREP)

THE PRO  Dexter "The Blade" Jackson
CREDENTIALS  2008 Mr. Olympia; 2008 Arnold Classic champion

JACKSON’S PICKS

MRP
Whey protein
Fat burner

JACKSON’S VIEW:  "When I’m preparing for a contest, maintaining my muscle mass while shedding bodyfat is the most important thing for me.  Let’s face it, when I step onstage, I’m routinely giving up 20, 30 even 40 pounds, so holding on to every ounce of muscle is critical.  To do that, I have to take in about 400 g of protein every day spread over seven meals."

PICK #1 MRP

Take it:  Three times per day: meal two at 10:30 AM, meal four at 3:30 PM and before bed
Dose:  One packet
Jackson says:  "The MRP I use has 40 g of protein and 32 g of carbs, with very little fat.  I add a scoop of whey protein powder that contains an additional 20 g of protein to my shake to bring the total to 60 g."

PICK #2 WHEY PROTEIN

Take it:  Three times per day with the meal replacement formula
Dose:  One scoop, yielding 20 g of protein
Jackson says:  "Bodybuilders can’t overstate the importance of protein to add and maintain muscle mass.  That’s why I add a scoop of quality whey protein powder to my meal replacement formula for an additional 20 g with every shake."

PICK #3  FAT BURNER

Take it:  First dose with first meal of the day, second dose before workout
Dose:  One capsule twice per day to start; three capsules twice per day after first week
Jackson says:  "A quality fat burner that combines ingredients like green tea extract, caffeine, yohimbine, white willow extract and inositol helps me achieve that ultrashredded, bone-dry condition I’ve become known for.  The nutrients help with both my energy and focus, which helps me train at a high intensity level, even though I’m on a reasonably low-carb diet."

SCENARIO FOUR:
PRE- AND POSTWORKOUT (PRECONTEST)

THE PRO Flex Lewis
CREDENTIALS 2008 Europa Super Show 202-and-under winner; 2008 202 Showdown, third place

LEWIS’ PICKS

Creatine
NO booster
Caffeine
Whey protein isolate
BCAAs
Glutamine

LEWIS’ VIEW:  "The bottom line is that whether you’re tired or not, you have to be able to train at maximum intensity to put your best body onstage, and it would be very difficult for me to do that if I were not supplementing properly for the workout."

PICK #1  CREATINE

Take it:  During workouts and immediately afterward
Dose:  3-5 g
Lewis says:  "I want my body to be enriched and in a super anabolic environment at all times, and I find that using Creatine this way allows me to keep great fullness in the muscle even though I’m dieting."

PICK #2  NO BOOSTER

Take it:  30 minutes before training
Dose:  One dose that provides 3-5 g of arginine
Lewis says:  "Nitric oxide helps me get a better pump during my workouts, which I really appreciate when I’m dieting on very low carbs."

PICK #3  CAFFEINE

Take it:  30 minutes before training
Dose:  200-400 milligrams
Lewis says:  "This really helps with my energy level for the workout, as well as my ability to stay focused."

PICK #4  WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE

Take it:  Immediately after training
Dose:  60 g
Lewis says:  "Whey isolate is a very fast-acting protein that gets into my system quickly along with the other nutrients, so I can effectively begin the recuperation process within minutes after my workout."

PICK #5  BCAAs

Take it:  Immediately after training
Dose:  5-10 g
Lewis says:  "Intense training and cardio sessions along with a lower calorie intake when I’m leaning out all deplete branched chain aminos, so I make sure to replenish them right after I train.  If not, the body can break down lean muscle tissue to get them and that’s the last thing any bodybuilder would want."

PICK #6  GLUTAMINE

Take it:  Immediately after training
Dose:  5-10 g
Lewis says:  "Glutamine gets released from your muscle to support your immune system when training, so replenish it right away to prevent any breakdown."

SCENARIO FIVE:
OVERALL HEALTH

THE PRO  Will "World" Harris
CREDENTIALS  2007 Europa Show runner-up

HARRIS’ PICKS

Glutamine
Multivitamin/multimineral without iron
Natural human growth hormone stimulant

HARRIS’  VIEW:  "Let’s face it, when you go into the gym and train like an animal, you’re breaking your body down, as well as lowering your resistance to illness.  I’ve been in the sport for a lot of years and it seems that whenever the issue of supplementation comes up, everyone skips right over the basics and it’s all about fat burners and supplements that can help you get bigger.  I understand that’s the bodybuilder’s mentality, but that’s kind of like picking out the color you’re going to paint a room on the second floor of a house before pouring the foundation.  I think a lot of people fail to realize that the bodybuilding lifestyle can take its toll on your overall health and immune system if you don’t do certain things to make sure that it doesn’t."

PICK #1  GLUTAMINE

Take it:  Four times per day with meals
Dose: 3 g
Harris says:  "Although glutamine is well-known for it muscle-building properties, it’s also great for your immune system."

PICK #2  MULTIVITAMIN/MULTIMINERAL WITHOUT IRON

Take it:  Breakfast and lunch
Dose:  One dose two times per day
Harris says:  "This is my first line of defense.  I make sure that it does not contain iron, because men can reach toxicity levels of that nutrient rather easily."

PICK #3  NATURAL HIGH STIMULANT (LIQUID FORM)

Take it:  Three times per day
Dose:  Two sprays under tongue
Harris says:  "When I see distended midsections on national and pro stages [which can be caused by injectible HGH use], I get disgusted.  On the other hand, I recognize that elevated human growth hormone levels - to a certain degree - can be great for overall health, recovery and muscularity.  This [product] is a natural way to boost those GH levels."

 

 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 at 10:33 am and is filed under Nutrition.